


Roommate Wanted

by hit_the_books



Series: SPN Kink Bingo [14]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Castiel and Netflix, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Roommates, Strangers to Lovers, Teacher Castiel, Teacher Sam Winchester, Writer Sam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-10
Updated: 2016-10-10
Packaged: 2018-08-21 18:26:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8255881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hit_the_books/pseuds/hit_the_books
Summary: Sam Winchester has just started teaching drama at Jefferson High School. There he meets biology teacher Castiel Novak, who is (it so happens) suddenly in need of a new roommate.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for [SPN Kink Bingo](http://spnkinkbingo.tumblr.com/). Square filled: High School AU.

“And you can stay out!”

Castiel slams the apartment door, the lock shifting into place automatically. Sliding down behind the blue painted wood, Castiel doesn’t bother to look through the door’s peephole at what should be the retreating back of Crowley. His now former roommate. Former from six hours ago when Castiel had called in the locksmith.

On the other side, an open palm slams into the wooden door, repeatedly, making it shake in its frame. “Come on Cas, it doesn’t have to be like this!”

Taking a deep breath, Castiel tries to stay calm and says nothing. He is not dealing with this asshole for another minute. The door shudders behind him from Crowley’s assault. He knows it had been a mistake to let Crowley in one last time, but now he’d gotten him out and for good.

It takes another five minutes for the roommate from hell to finally leave. The slamming stops and the door is still. Boxes shift and feet thud down the hallway. Castiel rubs at his face, hands scratching against three day’s worth of growth.

_It’s over_. Castiel stands up, swaying a little on his legs, dress slacks all creased. He staggers into his lounge and unbuttons his shirt before finally collapsing on the couch. Briefly, he wonders why he didn’t think of starting the process at the beginning of summer break, but it’s too late now to think of these things. He’d just run himself around in circles.

_At least my lesson plans are all in order._

***

Quiet chatter hums from the other side of the large wooden double doors to the teachers’ lounge. Sam places a shaking right hand on the right door, hesitation thrumming through him. Principal Harvelle had told Sam it was just fine for him to head on in before she went and bustled off to handle another matter.

Hefting his satchel on his left side, Sam unbuttons his second top shirt button, leaving the deep green plaid a degree more open. But he’s still standing outside the room, right hand on the door. _Come on Winchester, these are your colleagues! Not your students. They aren’t meant to be the ones that will eat you alive today_ , Sam admonishes himself.

“Are you going in?” asks a baritone man’s voice behind him and Sam jumps.

“Yes! Just—” Sam turns and nervously puts a hand through his slightly long hair. He’s looking into a set of very bright blue eyes and Sam feels his breath catch in his chest.

“Just going in, right?” The pink mouth with the bright blue eyes above it smiles. There’s messed up hair to go with it, a navy blue suit, white shirt and blue tie. Beige trench coat slung over his left arm, briefcase in hand.

Sam starts to feel underdressed in his plaid and jeans.

Remembering himself, Sam puts out his right hand. “I’m Sam Winchester, the new drama teacher.”

“Nice to meet you,” the man grips Sam’s hand and shakes it enthusiastically. “I’m Castiel Novak, I teach biology. Shall we?” Castiel tilts his head towards the door.

“The rest of them aren’t gonna bite, are they?”

Castiel starts pushing the door open. “Depends,” the biology teacher looks over his shoulder, back at Sam, “you look rather tasty.”

Eyes wide, mouth hanging a little open, Sam just stands there as Castiel Novak walks into the teachers’ lounge.

***

Scruff gone and the best coffee for five miles around driving his brain, it takes Castiel three seconds of being inside the teachers’ lounge to process what he has just said to their school’s new drama teacher. The 6’ 4” adonis with hazel eyes and long hair had just been hit on by his puny ass.

Heart thumping, he quickly goes and takes a seat beside his brother, Gabriel, who’s settled down with a far safer mug of the lounge’s caffeine brew. Sitting at an angle so he can just about see the doors to the room, Castiel begins to worry when Sam Winchester doesn’t follow him inside.

“Hey bro, heard you finally kicked Crowley out, good fo—”

“Gabe, I think I just hit on the new drama teacher.”

“She ho—”

“I think _he_ may now be too scared to enter the room.”

Gabriel slowly gets out of his seat, coffee in tow, and looks down at his slightly younger brother. Before he can say anything, Gabriel turns at the sound of the door opening, several more of his colleagues enter the room and one guy he doesn’t recognise.

“That him in the green plaid?” Gabriel asks, glancing down at Castiel.

All Castiel can do is nod.

“Hey, you must be the new drama teacher! Say what are your lunch plans...” Gabriel calls out as he walks over to Sam. Castiel watches the moment through long lashes, as he tries to look as if he is really hoping that the cheap carpet will swallow him up there and then.

“Do I need to get some Excel formulas ready for this week or are your students getting it easy?” Bright red Doc Martins now occupy the patch of carpet Castiel has been pretending to look at.

Gaze shifting, Castiel smiles at computer science teacher extraordinaire Charlie Bradbury. “Not this week, but maybe have something on standby by next Tuesday.”

“So, new drama teacher.” Charlie grins. “And I hear that your home situation is much improved.” She playfully slaps Castiel’s arm.

“Indeed, Crowley is gone… Listen, Charlie, I’m pretty sure I just hit on the new drama teacher.”

“And he was such an asshole, Cas, why di— Wait, what, you did what?”

“Before he entered the room, he asked me if any of us, his colleagues, would ‘bite’ and I replied by saying, ‘Depends, you look rather tasty.’ Before striding in here and realizing just what it was I had done.”

Charlie sits down beside Castiel and rests a reassuring hand on his right knee. “Wow, you get one worry free night of sleep and you’re back, just like that.”

Principal Harvelle’s sudden appearance shutters all talk. “Great to see you all back again, and yes, I hope you will make our new drama teacher, Mister Sam Winchester, feel welcome. There’s just a few matters I wanted to discuss before I allow you—”

Letting Ellen’s voice wash over him, Castiel risks a glance towards Sam. _Is he....?_ Sam’s head moves a miniscule distance in Castiel’s direction. _There, there is an eye flick!_ And then Sam is watching Principal Harvelle once more.

Speech done, Castiel waits for the room to start emptying before he pulls out a piece of paper from his briefcase. Taking a deep breath, he walks over to the cork board for staff to share notices between each other. It’s currently empty, except for some tacks, it being the start of the new school year.

Castiel feels eyes burning into him, but when he turns to look, there’s no one there. He’s the last one in the lounge. Thoughts of the new drama teacher are muddying with contemplations of what he needs to go over in homeroom. Swirling together, and it takes Castiel a moment to remember what he is doing. A note of satisfaction thuds out as each of the two tacks plunge through his piece of paper and into the cork underneath.

_ROOMMATE WANTED_

Ten minutes walk from Jefferson

2bd/2ba modern apartment: in-unit laundry, spacious lounge and kitchen

Pets allowed

Must be non-smoker

Competitive rent

If interested contact Castiel Novak on 555-0102

***

“Okay, so remember, by this time next week you need to have prepared a demonstration to show three key differences between naturalism and realism. And you’ve only got three minutes to make your point, so make each second count.”

A few of Sam’s new students moan at the homework announcement, but generally everyone seems glad that they’re not expected to write five page essays on Brechtian theater.

The chime for lunch sounds.

“Alright, see you all tomorrow.” Grabbing his satchel, Sam heads towards the teachers’ lounge to see if he can take Gabriel up on his offer of lunch. The music teacher had said something about sushi.

The hallways are packed of course, but Sam doesn’t have much trouble making his way from the drama studio to the small sanctuary they’re afforded. Students and teachers alike are sneaking glances at him as he walks, but Sam thinks nothing of it. When you’ve performed _Equus_ in front of a packed theater, like Sam did three years before getting into teaching, you don’t scare easily. Reaching the lounge, he slips inside and looks for Gabriel.

A single sheet of white paper on a cork board draws Sam in and he sees a notice. _Oh, someone’s looking for a roommate… Could be cheaper than signing on to a new rental agreement where I—_

“Hey kiddo! We’ve sushi, sashimi and mochi! A bit of something for everyone!” calls Gabriel. Sam goes towards the corner Gabriel has set up a small feast in. There’s a coffee table littered with delicious looking Japanese food in various containers. Sat beside Gabriel is a redheaded teacher he hasn’t met yet, but is wearing an adorable t-shirt and—

“Hi… Castiel.”

“Sam.”

Gabriel slaps Castiel on the back. “Cas and I are brothers. He teaches Biology 3 Honours and Advanced Placement.” Gabriel beams. “Charlie here is a good friend and resident hacker.”

“He means I teach computer science,” Charlie fills in.

_Of course the only free seat is beside Castiel_. Sam sits down on the meagrely upholstered cushions and nervously rubs his hands into his thighs. _I can own this, I can—_

“I’m sorry for my earlier comment, it was very unprofessional of me,” Castiel says in a low voice, just about audible to Sam.

Gabriel hands out little plates and wooden chopsticks for everyone. “Help yourselves,” he says, spearing a tuna roll on his chopsticks and putting it on his plate and then adding more.

Sam picks out a few things he likes the look of and adds some soya sauce. He knows Castiel is waiting for an answer.

Charlie asks Gabriel to look at something on her laptop, a few tables away, and the two of them get up with their food and disappear. Chancing a look up at Castiel, Sam finds the biology teacher is staring at him. Sam’s cheeks dimple nervously and he picks one piece of sushi up and starts eating it.

“I said I was—”

Sam swallows. “I heard you the first time.” _Crap that sounded harsh_. “Sorry, I didn’t mean—”

“Hi.” Castiel holds out his right hand. “I’m Castiel Novak.” 

Eyes big, Sam stares at Castiel’s hand like he’s just been offered a handshake from an alien. _Sam, you’re being a dick, Sam!_ Putting his chopsticks down on his plate, Sam manages to pulls his eyes to Castiel’s face and then grip his colleague’s hand. There’s a tingle along Sam’s palm and he looks into Castiel’s eyes, slowly losing himself until—

“Hey, I’m Sam Winchester,” he manages and then remembers to release Castiel’s hand.

“Are you enjoying your first day at Jefferson, Sam?”

“My students are eager to either do nothing or head straight to Hollywood.”

Castiel’s lips quirk in a half smile and Sam’s breath catches. “A few of mine pretend they do nothing while an alarming number hope to float a company on the New York Stock Exchange.”

“But you teach biology?”

“Yes, so let’s hope that they’re not planning to float biotech companies that engineer our collective demise at the hands and mouths of the undead.”

A huge grin breaks out on Sam’s face and he listens intently as Castiel begins to explain the quirkier side of teaching some of the school’s brightest and most ambitious.

***

The third week of lunchtimes together is when Castiel witnesses the notebook. They’re in the corner of a local diner, sat side by side having already looked at something on Castiel’s cell earlier.

Sam stops mid-sentence. He puts his fork is down and starts digging around in his satchel. Pulling out a shiny black fountain pen, Sam puts it down before grabbing a creased leather notebook out of the bag. It looks well-used and loved.

“Sam?” Castiel watches the drama teacher as he flips the notebook open and turns through the thick pages and finds an empty one a quarter of the way through. The nib scratches audibly against the surface of the paper. Castiel finds himself leaning closer to Sam, his curiosity getting the better of him and then he’s in Sam’s space, eyes on the page, nose ghosting along the collar of Sam’s shirt. _It’s so soft and—_ he reads the fresh ink:

_ACT II Scene 2: Hudgson crawls towards the centre of the stage, a piece of paper clenched in his hand._

Castiel realizes he’s in Sam’s space, because the scratching has stopped. He tilts his head away, _and why does Sam smell so good?_ Breath ghosts along Castiel’s skin and their eyes meet.

“Cas?” Sam asks softly.

It’s the first time Sam has called him “Cas” and it sounds good.

“Cas?” Sam is blushing and Castiel pulls away. A small sigh escapes Sam.

_Did he… does he…_ Castiel tries to think, but can’t bring his thoughts into a coherent whole. Sam knocks his knee into Castiel’s for the briefest moment, but it’s just that second too long and Castiel freezes.

The pen scratching begins again and Castiel has forgotten what it even was that made Sam begin writing in the first place. Remembering to breathe, Castiel lets out a breath and casually tries to sit back and take a pull from his soda.

“So you’re writing a play?”

***

It’s not until Sam’s finished for the day that he recalls where his conversation with Castiel was heading before that moment of inspiration hit. _Just inspiration, Sam?_ Rushing through the departing crowds, he heads to the teachers’ lounge and goes to look at the cork board that he’s studied several times now since starting at Jefferson.

And there it is. Half buried under other notices asking for help with after school societies, old TVs for sale and an open invite to a staff social.

Sam pulls the roommate ad free of the board. _I’ll call him tonight. I’ll—_

“Sam?” The door swings closed behind Castiel. He’s standing there, looking between Sam and the roommate ad in his hands.

“Hey, Cas. I was gonna call you about your ad, I wa—”

“Yes.”

_Wait, did he just say yes to a question I didn’t even ask? Did he just say I co—_ “I didn’t even ask you yet.”

The biology teacher walks up to Sam and puts his right hand on Sam’s left shoulder. Sam wants to pick up that hand and kiss its palm. “I know and I am saying yes, yes you can move in.”

***

“Nice to meet you, Dean,” Castiel manages with a polite smile, hand out. Lazy autumnal sunshine winds its way through the Saturday afternoon. Castiel is in an old t-shirt and pair of jeans.

The older Winchester, not too dissimilarly dressed to his brother, clasps Castiel’s hand and shakes it appraisingly. “Castiel.” His name sounds awkward on Dean’s tongue. Sam’s brother lets go. “Thanks for letting Sam have the room.”

Nodding, Castiel takes the next moving box from the back seat of Dean’s muscle car. The Impala is a contrast to the modernity of the surrounding cars. Straight lines where the newer vehicles have curves. “He’s a far more agreeable a person than my previous roommate.”

“I’ve heard.” Dean hefts another box and they walk back up into the apartment building, climbing the two flights of stairs to Castiel’s apartment. They meet Sam inside, who’s been waylaid by a call on his cell.

“And you too, mom.” Sam ends the call.

Slowly, Sam’s things, few that they are, come to rest in Castiel’s apartment. _Sam and mine’s apartment_ , Castiel thinks to himself with a small sense of satisfaction. Dean refuses his offer of joining them for take out.

“Nah, I’ve got a date… but thanks. See you later, Sammy.” The brothers hug and then it’s just Castiel and Sam left in the apartment.

Alone, together, standing in the lounge, they avoid looking at each other, but they avoid making excuses for other things they could do. Castiel has assignments to finish marking and he swore he heard Sam say earlier about needing to re-read some play or other.

Silence stretches and contorts between them. And it’s just so ridiculous, neither is ready to be the first to do anything. To leave and do the tasks that need seeing to. Neither closes the distance between the other. They stand there and Castiel wonders if it his just his heart that is beating rapidly in the silence of their first time being truly alone with each other.

Wonders if he imagined it all.

_Come on Cas, you can’t just stand here._ “Coffee?” His voice cracks a little, they’ve been standing there that long.

“Y-yeah. Sure. Coffee would be good.” If Sam feels awkward about just standing there for several minutes and saying nothing—it doesn’t show.

***

Locking up his small office, Sam could hear, rather than see, Castiel walking down the hallway towards him. Recognizing Cas’s walk had come two weeks after they met—there was an unexpected lightness to his footsteps, like he was trying to walk on air.

Classes were done for the day and Sam had finished marking a bunch of written assignments. He was ready for home. It was a Friday night and he didn’t have any plans. He thought Cas was heading out with his brother like he had done every Friday since Sam started at the school.

The words just tumble out of Cas, “Hey, sorry for the late notice, but I was wondering if you wanted to just hang out at the apartment this evening? It’s cool if you already have plans, but if you don’t: we could order in some pizza, drink some beers and watch this new show that’s just come to Netflix.”

It takes Sam a moment, but then he realizes that Cas has asked him if he wants to spend the evening together. He’d been planning at staring at the play in his notebook all evening. _Play… or Cas… play or Cas?_. Sam huffs a small laugh and nods. “That actually sounds good. Sure, I’d like that.”

***

It’s their first Friday evening together. They are five episodes into _Daredevil_ when Castiel comes out of his bubble enough to see that he is sat right _next_ to Sam. An almost empty pizza box sat on the living room coffee table in front of them. When had they gotten this close?

Heat radiates from Sam’s body. He doesn’t appear to have noticed how close Cas is. Letting out a shaky breath, Cas allows his eyes to be drawn back to the screen and tries to get caught in the action again.

“You okay?” asks Sam.

“Fine, thanks.”

***

Sat at the breakfast counter, Sam chews on his PB&J sandwich, having found no bananas. It’s the middle of the night and Sam has been stuck on the same scene since watching Daredevil with Castiel a few weeks ago.

It’s been three hours since Sam said goodnight to Castiel, but sleep has evaded him. Instead his head is filled with ideas, churning and biting. The nib of his pen flows with ink to the vellum of his notebook and Sam lets the thoughts bubble out of him, filling page after page with scene directions and dialogue. He should feel cold in his t-shirt and boxers, but he doesn’t.

Two months of teaching and he hadn’t felt so inspired until… _Cas_. Sam looks up and his new roommate is leaning against the counter watching him, wrapped in a thick blue robe. Sam’s hand stills and then he puts down the pen.

“Couldn’t sleep?” asks Cas, his more than five o’clock shadow standing out.

Sam smiles and shake his hair from his face. “Kinda… just needed to write.”

His roommate slides closer to him and Sam’s breath catches. Castiel turns and looks over Sam’s shoulder, leaning into him. The weeks of close touches and blushes; both of them testing and teasing… _Hell, this is crazy!_ Sam thinks to himself, but he doesn’t really believe that, not with the goosebumps starting to dot his arms.

“Cas…” Sam whispers. His roommate is now stroking his back.

“Do you normally move in with guys before….?”

Sam tilts his face to look up at Cas. “Before what?” Sam licks his lips. The distance between their mouths closes and Sam can smell the mint mouthwash Castiel uses. Their lips brush together and then they’re kissing. The start of the semester is behind them and suddenly they are far more than colleagues or roommates.

Climbing to his feet, Sam grasps Castiel around his waist and picks the slightly smaller man up and places him on the edge of the counter. Cas’s lips find his easily and lick and suck his mouth open. Sam rolls his tongue over Castiel’s and his roommate lets out a low moan.

Sam pulls away for air and the two of them brace their foreheads together. Castiel gazes into Sam’s eyes. “Sam, do you normally move in with a guy before you kiss him?”

A small laugh bubbles out of Sam and he smiles. “You’re the first I’ve gone to such extreme measures for,” jokes Sam.

Castiel smiles and it is the sweetest thing on this Earth. Sam moves his lips to Castiel’s again, feeling their smoothness and the contrast of Cas’s scruff against his own.

It is turning into a good first semester.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments appreciated.
> 
> Find me on Tumblr at [dreamsfromthebunker](http://dreamsfromthebunker.tumblr.com/).


End file.
